(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Today, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Paul Quanderand the Mayor’s Office of Victim Services (OVS) joined community-service providers, leading experts in sexual-assault prevention, and law-enforcement officials from throughout the D.C. area to launch a new, District-wide initiative to address sexual assault and dating violence through the use of technology.

The Assault. Services. Knowledge. DC, or ASK DC, initiative features mobile application, website and training components all aimed at providing resources and raising awareness for victims of sexual assault and dating violence. For the first time, the app compiles 33 assault-response resources from all service providers throughout the District in one, easily accessible tool. It provides quick access to immediate medical help and law enforcement, 24-hour support hotlines and online chats, and District-specific community resources. The ASK DC initiative also encompasses a series of training sessions that will provide military personnel, law-enforcement officials, Capitol Hill staffers, deaf and hard-of-hearing residents and other District communities with bystander intervention strategies and sexual-assault-response protocols. The initiative also includes specialized resources for victims of sexual assault and dating violence in the military personnel, LGBTQ, deaf and hard of hearing, and multilingual communities. The resources are available in English, Spanish, French, Amharic, American Sign Language, and 22 different Asian languages.

“One of my overarching goals is to ensure that every District resident feels safe and protected in their community, regardless of where they live, their age, their religion, their ethnic background, their sexual orientation or their gender identity,” Mayor Gray said. “ASK DC is a way to save lives and provide all of our residents and visitors with quick access to critical resources that can help address – and ultimately reduce – incidents of sexual assault and dating violence.”

ASK DC was modeled after U ASK DC, which launched in September 2012 and provides access to all the services available to victims of sexual assault and dating violence available on the District’s college and university campuses. U ASK DC was created in response to alarming numbers of occurrences of campus sexual assault coupled with the severe underreporting of those incidents. ASK DC takes this model a step further, extending access to the entire District. The same partnership that created U ASK DC (OVS and leading men’s violence-prevention organization Men Can Stop Rape) created ASK DC as a response to demand for an app of the same nature that was accessible and applicable to all District residents and visitors.

ASK DC is also a model that states and cities can replicate to increase reporting of rape and sexual assault; reduce the number of incidents; and raise awareness about, and use of, vital community resources. According to the 2008 National Crime Victimization Survey, every 2 minutes, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. In addition, 40 percent of young men and women surveyed in the 2013 Teens and Young Adults on Dating Violence and Sexual Assault study reported that they would not know what to do if they witnessed dating abuse or sexual assault. ASK DC, with its innovative structure, presents a unique opportunity to address these statistics.

“Anyone can use this app,” Men Can Stop Rape Executive Director Neil Irvin said. “Every person with a smartphone either living in or visiting D.C. can become an active bystander by downloading the app and learning how to support a friend, family member or colleague who might need your help.”

The ASK DC app is available for free download in the iTunes App Store, Google Play Store or BlackBerry App World and is compatible with BlackBerry, iOS and Android OS devices. Visit ASK DC online at www.askdc.org, or learn more about Men Can Stop Rape at www.mencanstoprape.org. For more information on the Office of Victim Services, visit http://ovs.dc.gov.

New report documents results of the Healthy Masculinity Summit, the launch of a two-year project to build a new generation of male leaders who model healthier life choice and strength without violence

WASHINGTON, DC – February 5 – Helping men to develop a healthy masculinity can be a key factor in ending violence against women, according to a new report that is part of a nationwide, two-year initiative to find solutions to one of society’s most critical problems.

The Healthy Masculinity Summit Reportwas released today as part of the antiviolence initiative, the Healthy Masculinity Action Project, which was organized by six national nonprofit organizations: Men Can Stop Rape, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, Men Stopping Violence, Coach for America, Women of Color Network and A CALL TO MEN.

“We need to eradicate the outdated view, expectation and stereotypes of what it means to be a man,” said Neil Irvin, executive director of Men Can Stop Rape, the lead organization on the Healthy Masculinity Action Project, also known as HMAP. “A man can be caring, respectful and embrace a nonviolent masculinity. Together we – men and women – can end violence.”

The report documents the results of the Healthy Masculinity Summit, which was sponsored by the Verizon Foundation and held in Washington, DC, last October to launch HMAP. Hundreds of men and women from across the country participated in conversations about the potentially positive impact of healthy masculinity. The promotion of men’s nonviolence and healthier life choices was considered across a wide spectrum of societal areas: athletics, the workplace, faith, technology, business, youth development, education, communities of color, fatherhood, mental health, gender-based violence, LGBTQ communities, media, and trafficking.

Fatherhood: Healthy Masculinity looks like a father unapologetically asking other men for support as he navigates his way through fatherhood.

Gender-Based Violence: Many people are unable to make the connection between preventing domestic and sexual violence and healthy masculinity, which makes it necessary to educate both men and women.

Communities of Color: It is critical to engage communities about the importance of healthy masculinity in the context of the school-to-prison pipeline, as this is where young men – particularly those of color – are categorized and unreasonably punished for displays of unhealthy masculinity taught to them by the same society that incarcerates them.

Athletics: In order to persuade male athletes and coaches that healthy masculinity is of value, we can ask them how they would characterize healthy masculinity and discuss the role they believe it plays in sports.

Together, the collection of insights and observations derived from the more than 20 summit conversations serve as a compendium of critical knowledge that will shape the work of HMAP.

Throughout this year, with the support of the Verizon Foundation, HMAP will host regional summits, community town hall meetings in select cities and university campuses across the country as well as a Youth Leadership Summit to continue the discussion on how men can stop the violence. For more information, visit www.mencanstoprape.org/Healthy-Masculinity-Action-Project/.

Joe Ehrmann, honored as the Baltimore Colts Man of the Year and called “the Most Important Coach in America” by Parade Magazinefor his work transforming the culture of sports.

Ruchira Gupta, founder and president of Apne Aap Women Worldwide, a grassroots organization in India working to end sex trafficking, and winner of the 2009 Clinton Global Citizen Award.

Michael Kimmel, one of the world’s leading researchers and writers on men and masculinity, author of “Guyland, Misframing Men,” and “A Guy’s Guide to Feminism.”

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About the Healthy Masculinity Action Project (HMAP)

The Healthy Masculinity Action Project (HMAP) is a national grassroots movement to eradicate the harmful expectations and stereotypes our society teaches boys about what it means to be a man. A two year initiative, HMAP aims to build a new generation of male leaders who will model strength without violence and serve as positive change makers in society – taking their communities from awareness to action. Ultimately, HMAP will train more than 1,000 ambassadors to spread the movement nationwide by holding town halls, presenting on healthy masculinity in schools, and working with local organizations on community outreach to prevent violence against girls and women. These ambassadors will equip nearly 1 million people with knowledge on the importance and benefits of healthy masculinity and how to prevent violence against women.

Filmmaker Byron Hurt to Headline the Men of Strength Club’s 10th Annual Solutions Through Film Black History Month Film Festival at the AFI Silver Theatre Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland

Leading violence prevention organization, Men Can Stop Rape, Sponsors Day of Films and Workshops to Honor the African-American Experience

[Washington, DC – January 29, 2013] – Men of Strength (MOST) Club, a program of the leading national violence prevention and youth development organization Men Can Stop Rape, is proud to announce the 10th Annual Solutions Through Film Black History Month Film Festival to take place on Saturday February 2, 2013 at the AFI Silver Theatre Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. The festival will take place 2:00 PM until 6:00 PM.

Solutions Through Film was originally conceived in 2002 as a MOST Club community service project to honor the traditions of the African-American experience through activism, leadership, and philanthropy. The film festival is a place where audiences have discussions, ask serious questions, and challenge themselves through youth-led workshops on the featured films. The festival is planned and led by area middle school and high school students as part of their MOST Club experience. Part of the day’s proceeds will go to Apne Aap Women Worldwide, an organization working to ensure girls in India go to schools, not brothels.

Solutions Through Film will feature two of the leading documenters of the African-American experience today. Headlining the festival will be writer, activist, lecturer, and filmmaker Byron Hurt (Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhyme, I AM A MAN: Black Masculinity in America) presenting his latest film, Soul Food Junkies, an exploration of the health advantages and disadvantages of soul food, a quintessential American cuisine. Hurt uses soul food as the lens to investigate the dark side of the food industry and the growing food justice movement that has been born in its wake.

The festival will also feature award winning documentarian Janks Morton (What Black Men Think) and his latest film, Hoodwinked. Hoodwinked is an analysis of the most recent data being released by the US Census, Department of Justice, and other agencies to highlight strides and achievements in the African American community. It examines the symbiotic relationship between media, government, and special interest as they exploit imagery, statistics, and data that too often presents a skewed perspective of the modern era African American experience.

Immediately following each film, the filmmakers will participate in workshops with the audience led by MOST Club members from Washington, DC, and Baltimore public middle and high schools. These workshops will be outcome-focused with a goal of creating community and school events around healthy bodies and healthy minds.

Men Can Stop Rape's youth development program, the Men of Strength Club or MOST Club, is the country’s premiere primary violence prevention program for mobilizing middle school and high school boys and men to prevent sexual and dating violence. MOST Club provides young men with a structured and supportive space to build individualized definitions of masculinity that promote healthy relationships. MOST Club also supports civic engagement through its focus on community service projects, known as Community Strength Projects, which are planned, executed, and evaluated by MOST Club members, the most notable being the annual Solutions Through Film Black History Month Film Festival.

Washington, DC – November 20, 2012– Men Can Stop Rape, a leading national violence prevention and youth development non-profit, announced today the election of author, Rosalind Wiseman,as its new Board Chair.

Wiseman is also an internationally recognized expert on children, teens, parenting, bullying, social justice, and ethical leadership. Each year she works with tens of thousands of students, educators, parents, counselors, coaches, and administrators to create communities based on the belief that each person has a responsibility to treat themselves and others with dignity. In 2011, she was one of the principal speakers at the White House Summit on Bullying. Other audiences have included the American School Counselors Association, International Chiefs of Police, American Association of School Administrators, and countless schools throughout the U.S. and abroad.

Wiseman will apply her unique expertise to helping continue Men Can Stop Rape’s mission of mobilizing men and boys in every community to prevent violence, promote healthy, non-violent masculinity and to be allies and advocates for women.

Executive Director Neil Irvin is proud to welcome Wiseman to the Men Can Stop Rape team, and is confident that the experience, passion and knowledge she brings to the table will greatly complement the skills of the board at large.

“At Men Can Stop Rape a strong focus of our work is engaging and educating youth on core principles, like the importance of respect, gender equality and healthy non-violent masculinity, as ways to prevent violence before it occurs,” said Irvin. “Ms. Wiseman’s talents along with her deep understanding of youth culture and social issues make her an excellent candidate for this position and I’m looking forward to this opportunity for collaboration.”

The Men Can Stop Rape Board also welcomed to its ranks Allison Mitchell of the Children's Hospital Foundation as Vice-Chair, Donna Purchase of Portsmith Creations, LLC as Secretary, and David Rider of Accenture as Treasurer.

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ABOUT Men Can Stop Rape Men Can Stop Rape seeks to mobilize men to use their strength for creating cultures free from violence, especially men’s violence against women. Men Can Stop Rape is the leading national organization mobilizing boys and young men to prevent all forms of physical and sexual violence, especially violence against women. Since 1997, the organization has reached over 2 million boys and men with a message of “strength without violence.”

The organization’s cutting-edge prevention programs are grounded in the social ecological model, which recognizes that individual actions profoundly affect entire communities and ultimately all of society. Men Can Stop Rape equips boys and men to be activists and positive change agents among their peers. Their innovative programs, social marketing campaigns, and trainings equip men to confront negative male stereotypes, called “the dominant story of masculinity,” that teach men to be aggressive and violent, and answer the question “What kind of man do you want to be?” The counter story is being that man.

HUNDREDS GATHER IN WASHINGTON, D.C., TO LAUNCH NATIONAL EFFORT TO MOBILIZE YOUNG MEN TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND PROMOTE HEALTHY MASCULINITY

Leading violence prevention organizations join forces to challenge what society teaches boys about being “real men”

October 17, 2012 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - Every day young people are exposed to violence in news stories and the media, but rarely, if ever, is the violence linked to masculinity. It is time to make the connection between the epidemic of male violence in America and what society is teaching boys about masculinity. Men Can Stop Rape and some of the nation’s leading violence prevention organizations are coming together today in Washington, D.C., to launch the Healthy Masculinity Action Project (HMAP), a new effort to educate young men and boys, promote healthy, non-violent masculinity and curb male violence.

The Healthy Masculinity Summit, a three-day meeting taking place in D.C., is the first component of the national initiative to train advocates and ambassadors to promote healthy, non-violent masculinity in their communities. At the summit, leading experts from across professional fields will come together to identify concrete steps for increasing awareness of how healthy masculinity can positively impact society. Following the summit, HMAP will launch a new grassroots effort to mobilize men and boys to educate others and to promote healthy, non-violent masculinity in order to activate change in their communities around the country.

“The Healthy Masculinity Action Project is our collective way of galvanizing efforts to build a new generation of male leaders who will model strength without violence and be positive change makers,” said Neil Irvin, executive director of Men Can Stop Rape.

The HMAP is being hosted by Men Can Stop Rape, a pioneering national organization mobilizing men and boys nationwide to prevent violence against women, and supported by the Verizon Foundation, a corporate leader in domestic violence prevention. In this effort to engage men, the Verizon Foundation will also announce a new action guide with straightforward ways for men to speak out against domestic violence. The guide is part of Your Voice Counts, the Foundation’s campaign to empower men and women to speak out against domestic violence. The Your Voice Counts public service announcement and resources are available at www.Verizonfoundation.org/yourvoicecounts.

“Men and women need to work together if we want to stop the violence. And that is why the Verizon Foundation is pleased to support HMAP and to launch a new awareness campaign, Your Voice Counts, that encourages men and women to start speaking up against domestic violence,” said Anthony Llompart, Verizon Foundation Director of Healthcare. “We need to start looking at domestic violence as a public health issue that impacts all of us.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one in three women and one in four men in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetimes. The U.S. Department of Justice has also reported that on average, more than three women a day are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in the United States.

The Healthy Masculinity Action Project (HMAP) aims to eradicate the harmful expectations and stereotypes about what it means to be a man by spreading a new movement to educate boys and men of all ages. The two-year initiative will mobilize men, women and teens nationwide to educate their communities and take action by training ambassadors and advocates to promote healthy, non-violent masculinity in their communities. This will also include developing new resources, such as a collection of best practices and a documentary on the HMAP ambassadors and their efforts on the ground.

Men Can Stop Rape is the leading national organization mobilizing boys and men to prevent violence against women. The program has reached over 2 million boys and men in the past 10 years with a message of “strength without violence.” Men Can Stop Rape’s cutting-edge prevention programs are grounded in the social ecological model which recognizes that individual actions profoundly affect entire communities and ultimately all of society. Utilizing a proven curriculum, awareness campaigns, prevention and intervention trainings and programming, Men Can Stop Rape is engaging men and boys to build safer and healthier communities. For more information about Men Can Stop Rape, visit www.mencanstoprape.org.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Today, Mayor Vincent C. Grayand representatives from the Mayor’s Office of Victim Services (OVS) joined student leaders, experts in sexual assault prevention, law-enforcement officials and administrators from universities throughout the District for the official launch of “University Assault. Services. Knowledge. Washington, DC” (U ASK DC), a new District-wide initiative to promote services for college students in the aftermath of victimization.

U ASK DC features a mobile application and website that, for the first time, compiles resources for victims of campus-based crime, including sexual assault and dating violence, from all eight District universities and 19 D.C. community organizations into one easily accessible tool. It includes contact information for immediate medical attention and law enforcement, answers to key questions on what to expect during a hospital examination and police reporting and information on sexual assault support services within the community and specific to each campus.

“Studies show us that a significant percentage of college women who experience incidents of violence or sexual assault never report them to authorities for a wide variety of reasons,” Mayor Gray said. “U ASK DC is an effort to ensure that the thousands of women on the District’s college campuses have full access the resources they need to help themselves and their peers.”

OVS partnered with leading men’s violence-prevention organization Men Can Stop Rape to develop U ASK DC, an all-in-one resource that guides college students in the D.C. area in responding to the victimization of themselves or a friend.

According to the 2011 College Dating Violence and Abuse Poll, nearly half of dating college women (43 percent) report having experienced violent or abusive dating behaviors, and more than one in five (22 percent) report actual physical abuse, sexual abuse or threats of physical violence. Research from the Department of Justice also shows that fewer than 5 percent of college women who are victims of rape or attempted rape report it to police.Many are reluctant because they do not know where to go for help, because they fear that authorities will not believe them, or because they believe that nothing will be done if they come forward. This severe underreporting is a serious problem that ensures few victims receive adequate help, allows offenders to evade consequences and keeps colleges in the dark about the full extent of the problem.

“The U ASK initiative has been creative, collaborative and inclusive. As a result we have developed a tool with students, for students, that we can make available to every university town in the country,” said OVS Director Melissa Hook. “Now, for the first time all the campus and community sexual assault service providers are easily accessible for students. We want this app to help prevent campus incidents, and at the same time to encourage victims to come forward and receive the care that they need.”

U ASK DC represents a unique collaboration between D.C. universities and local agencies to more readily connect students with the many life-saving victimization resources that are available to them.

“Core to our programming is the idea that every person, especially young men, has a role to play in preventing rape and sexual assault, whether that means speaking up when abuse is suspected, helping connect victims with the proper resources or simply being knowledgeable about what to do when a sexual assault occurs,” said Neil Irvin, Executive Director of Men Can Stop Rape. “The U ASK tools are so great because they not only make trauma-focused resources highly accessible for victims, but they also equip bystanders with an easy way to support a friend who is in crisis or confides in them about a past assault.”

U ASK DC also includes off-campus resources for crime victims, including follow-up medical services, legal services, services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, and services for English as a second language and international students. U ASK DC is a model program that can be adapted and replicated by other states to increase student reporting of rape and sexual assault, reduce the number of incidents among college students and raise awareness about community resources.

Partners of the U ASK DC project include the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program – a program of OVS and the Washington Hospital Center – the D.C. Rape Crisis Center, Break the Cycle, Survivors and Advocates for Empowerment (SAFE), the Network for Victim Recovery of D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department, American University, The Catholic University of America, Gallaudet University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Howard University, Trinity Washington University, University of the District of Columbia and other important community resources.

The U ASK DC app is available for free download and is compatible with iOS and Android OS devices. Visit U ASK DC online at www.uaskdc.org, or learn more about Men Can Stop Rape at www.mencanstoprape.org. For more information on the Office of Victim Services, visit http://ovs.dc.gov.

Rachel B. Friedman Appointed Deputy Director of Men Can Stop RapeFriedman to expand growth and visibility at national violence prevention organization

[Washington, DC – July 5, 2012] – Men Can Stop Rape, a leading national violence prevention and youth development non-profit, announces the appointment of Rachel B. Friedman as Deputy Director. Friedman is Men Can Stop Rape’s first Deputy Director and brings to the position extensive fundraising experience, as well as broad knowledge of and passion for the primary prevention of violence against women.

Executive Director Neil Irvin hails Friedman’s appointment as a major step for the organization in its ongoing efforts to stop sexual assault, and all forms of violence against women and girls, before it starts.

“Ms. Friedman brings remarkable skills, talent, and dedication to this new position,” Irvin said. “She is a natural leader, and with her as Deputy Director, Men Can Stop Rape will experience unprecedented growth, financially and programmatically.”

After joining Men Can Stop Rape in 2008 as Development Coordinator, Friedman worked her way up to Director of Foundation and Government Grants in 2009. In that position, Friedman helped secure over $3 million in revenue by seeking out new funding sources and engaging in outreach with funders and donors. This included deepening, renewing, and building relationships with funders such as the NoVo Foundation, Open Society Institute, Verizon Foundation, U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to name a few.

“In this role, I look forward to bolstering our work with young men, and also encouraging other women to engage the boys and men in their lives in healthy, nonviolent masculinity,” Friedman said. “I have seen firsthand how Men Can Stop Rape’s approach transforms individuals and communities. I’m thrilled to be a leader at this organization.”

Prior to joining Men Can Stop Rape, Friedman worked as a Research Analyst for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from 2003-2007. Friedman graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a B.A. in Women’s Studies. She is currently pursuing her M.B.A. from Trinity Washington University.

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ABOUT Men Can Stop RapeMen Can Stop Rape seeks to mobilize men to use their strength for creating cultures free from violence, especially men’s violence against women. Men Can Stop Rape is the leading national organization mobilizing boys and young men to prevent all forms of physical and sexual violence, especially violence against women. Since 1997, the organization has reached over 2 million boys and men with a message of “strength without violence.”

The organization’s cutting-edge prevention programs are grounded in the social ecological model, which recognizes that individual actions profoundly affect entire communities and ultimately all of society. Men Can Stop Rape equips boys and men to be activists and positive change agents among their peers. Their innovative programs, social marketing campaigns, and trainings equip men to confront negative male stereotypes, called “the dominant story of masculinity,” that teach men to be aggressive and violent, and answer the question “What kind of man do you want to be?” The counter story is being that man.

BOYS AND YOUNG MEN NATIONWIDE UNITE TO END VIOLENCE FOR APRIL, NATIONAL SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH

Leading men’s prevention organization, Men Can Stop Rape, leads national initiatives to stop violence against women before it starts

WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 4, 2012 – In honor of April, National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Men Can Stop Rape, a leading national organization mobilizing boys and men to prevent violence against women, is ramping up efforts to stop sexual assault, and all forms of violence against women, before it starts. Men Can Stop Rape will be engaging boys and young men in prevention efforts across the country, reaching them in middle and high schools, colleges, and at community events with their proven, curriculum-based prevention programming, educational trainings and awareness campaigns.

Sexual violence is an urgent public health problem that impacts millions of women and men each year. A recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that nearly 1 in 5 women (22 million) in the United States have been raped at some time in their lives. Nearly 1 in 2 women (53 million) and 1 in 5 men (more than 25 million) have experienced other forms of sexual violence at some point in their lives1. Additional research suggests that patterns of sexual abuse are beginning as early as middle school. A new survey, commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, of more than 1,400 7th graders showed that more than half of students in the sample had already been victims of sexual harassment2, with the average age of respondents being 12 years old.

A core component of Men Can Stop Rape is their Men Of Strength (MOST) Club, a school-based, 22-week curriculum for 11-18 year olds that emphasizes the importance of healthy, non-violent masculinity among young men. In use for over a decade, an adaptation of this program, Campus MOST, is also being implemented among college men with renewed focus this month on how students can step up to prevent sexual assault.

“National Sexual Assault Awareness Month is an important time for us to reach new audiences with critical information about how men of all ages can work to prevent sexual violence in our society,” said Men Can Stop Rape Executive Director and gender-based violence prevention expert, Neil Irvin. “Male bystanders have a huge role to play in this effort because simple actions on their part – being aware of their surroundings, and speaking up if they see a potentially dangerous situation - can stop sexual assaults and other acts of violence before they even happen.”

This message is at the heart of Men Can Stop Rape’s newest intervention movement called Where Do You Stand? which is empowering college men to speak up and prevent violence on campus.

Where Do You Stand? uses a variety of media materials including billboards, posters and t-shirts, depicting common and potentially dangerous scenarios faced on campus along with provocative messages that illustrate how easy it can be for men to step-in and prevent violence. Where Do You Stand? also uses bystander intervention trainings and peer-education sessions that equip men with the necessary skills and tools to intervene.

Universities across the country have already requested the new Where Do You Stand? intervention materials and trainings. To kick-start their April efforts, Men Can Stop Rape will be on the ground, educating college men about how they can start using this innovative programming to make a difference on their campuses:

April Campus Trainings:

April 3rd: Brown University (Providence, Rhode Island)

April 5 – 6th: Norfolk State University (Norfolk, Va.)

April 12th:Florida A&M (Tallahassee, Fla.)

April 26th – 27th: Morehouse College (Atlanta, Ga.)

Additionally, partners from the District of Columbia Office of Victim Services have joined Men Can Stop Rape with the goal of distributing Where Do You Stand? materials to campuses city wide.

Later this month, Men Can Stop Rape will join policy makers and violence prevention advocates on Capitol Hill to announce the launch of a new initiative that is uniting men’s organizations nationwide to end violence against women by teaching communities about healthy, non-violent masculinity. The Healthy Masculinity Action Project (HMAP) is a multi-component, year-long initiative designed to reduce violence against women, increase national dialogue on the link between violence and society’s expectations of men and masculinity, and build support for a new generation of male leadership who will model strength without violence. Men Can Stop Rape is spearheading this first of its kind, national effort, along with partners from Futures Without Violence, A Call to Men, Coach for America and Men Stopping Violence.

This April, Men Can Stop Rape is taking a pro-active role in raising awareness about the importance of educating men to prevent sexual assault, but Neil Irvin believes that this is only the beginning.

“National Sexual Assault Awareness Month is the one time during the year, barring incidents of tragedy, when this topic is put into the national spotlight,” says Irvin. “But the important thing to remember is that preventing sexual assault is something we all need to focus on year round. We can’t wait for next April, or for the next act of violence to occur. Prevention starts here; and it starts with individuals and communities working together to educate the public before it’s too late.”

COLLEGE MEN LAUNCH WHERE DO YOU STAND?, A NEW NATIONAL INTERVENTION PROGRAM TO STOP SEXUAL ASSAULT ON CAMPUSES

Leading men’s prevention organization, Men Can Stop Rape, collaborates with American Association of University Women to increase the number of men on campus who intervene to prevent dating violence and sexual assault

WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 31, 2012 – Today, Men Can Stop Rape, a leading national organization mobilizing boys and young men to prevent violence against women, is launching a new nationwide intervention movement to empower college men to speak up and prevent violence on campus.

This new push to build safer college campuses is a direct result of the many recent incidents of rape, sexual assault and dating violence that have occurred on campuses. Sixty two percent of undergraduate students say they have encountered some type of sexual harassment (1), and a recent survey shows that nearly half (43 percent) of all dating college women report having ever experienced violent or abusive dating behaviors (2).

Men Can Stop Rape is taking an entirely new approach to preventing these incidents. For the first time, they are focusing on male bystanders who witness potentially violent situations and teaching them how to step in before situations escalate into actual physical or sexual violence.

This initiative involves several elements including the launch of an innovative public awareness campaign called Where Do You Stand?. This campaign uses a variety of media materials including billboards, posters and t-shirts, displaying provocative visuals and messages that illustrate how easy it can be for men to speak up and prevent violence. Where Do You Stand? also uses bystander intervention trainings and peer-education sessions that equip them with the necessary skills and tools to intervene.

“Where Do You Stand? continues Men Can Stop Rape’s commitment to primary prevention by creating everyday solutions to prevent men’s violence against women and girls,” said Men Can Stop Rape Executive Director, Neil Irvin. “This campaign builds on young men’s ability, desire, and commitment to being strong without being violent. We look forward to using Where Do You Stand? to deepen existing relationships and build new partnerships with college campuses across the country.”

The collaboration with the American Association of University Women’s 100,000 members nationwide, illustrates the spirit of teamwork that Men Can Stop Rape aims to incorporate onto every campus where this new campaign will take root. Men Can Stop Rape hopes to continue to build these powerful collaborations with women’s groups to help support existing rape and violence prevention programs on campuses and to increase these groups’ resources by bringing men and women together around these important issues.

“It’s crucial that both women and men address sexual harassment and violence on campus. This is not just a women’s issue,” said AAUW Program Manager, Holly Kearl. “By joining forces, we can work together to challenge the culture that fosters those dangerous behaviors, involve more men and give all students nationwide the tools they need to be part of the solution.”

The initiative will also seek to increase the presence of Men Can Stop Rape student leaders on college campuses by building more student-led chapters of their Campus Men Of Strength (MOST) Clubs. MOST Club members serve as activists for violence prevention on campus. They facilitate trainings, plan events and partner with other community and campus organizations to educate men about stereotypes that perpetuate violence, different ways to approach potentially dangerous situations and how to overcome men’s reluctance to confront their peers when they see unhealthy interactions they suspect could become dangerous.

Today, college men from Georgetown, American University and George Washington University, along with area high school students, will come together at Georgetown with collaborators from the American Association of University Women (AAUW), and the School and College Organization of Prevention Educators (SCOPE, www.wearescope.org) to launch this new violence intervention movement at a meeting of Men Can Stop Rape student leaders.

“Intervening in the presence of disrespect toward a woman can be easier said than done,” said Matt Scott, sophomore at George Washington University and Campus MOST Club member. “Everybody faces challenges in life where women, and men for that matter, are being degraded in front of them. It is tough to know how to handle it but Men Can Stop Rape makes it easier for men to challenge stereotypes and take a stand.”

Universities across the country have already requested the new Where Do You Stand? intervention materials and programs and are highly anticipating the opportunity to introduce this national campus movement to their students. Additionally, partners from the District of Columbia Office of Victim Services have joined with Men Can Stop Rape with the goal of distributing Where Do You Stand? materials to campuses city wide. The college men leading this movement are working to ensure every campus has violence and sexual assault prevention and intervention programs in place.

The Where Do You Stand? materials, trainings and programs and the Campus MOST Club programming are available to be activated on campuses nationwide. For more information about Men Can Stop Rape, visit www.mencanstoprape.org.

About Men Can Stop RapeMen Can Stop Rape is the leading national organization mobilizing boys and men to prevent violence against women. The program has reached over 2 million boys and men in the past 10 years with a message of “strength without violence.” Men Can Stop Rape’s cutting-edge prevention programs are grounded in the social ecological model which recognizes that individual actions profoundly affect entire communities and ultimately all of society. Utilizing a proven curriculum, awareness campaigns, prevention and intervention trainings and programming, Men Can Stop Rape is engaging men and boys to build safer and healthier communities. For more information about Men Can Stop Rape, visit www.mencanstoprape.org.

About Where Do You Stand?Where Do You Stand? is a positive approach to preventing violence that empowers male bystanders to intervene in a variety of common and potentially dangerous scenarios that college students face on campus. This unique awareness campaign uses provacative images and messages that were inspired by interviews with sexual assault staff on college campuses, examined by focus groups with a diversity of college men and tested with surveys for effectiveness. Where Do You Stand? incorporates a variety of elements, including posters, billboards and other media materials, trainings, a curriculum, event ideas and projects that all reinforce ways that young men can use their strength for bystander intervention. These components teach men how to assess situations and take action to prevent dating and sexual violence. For more information, or to find out how to bring Where Do You Stand? materials, trainings or programs to your campus or organization, please contact 202-265-6530 or visit www.mencanstoprape.org.